Throughout the year, Eastern States Exposition (ESE) offers numerous opportunities to intern through ESE’s many departments, event-related positions (The Big E, Hooplandia, etc.) and Storrowton Village Museum, the organization’s historical preservation site. This summer, the Museum’s internship program welcomed Owen McIntosh and Bella Theodorou as helping hands. Both interns assist with the curation and care of the Village’s 18th-19th century library archives.
Owen McIntosh comes to Storrowton Village Museum from Bloomfield, Conn. In his role as library archives intern, he optimizes the Village’s library, strategizes means of classification and refines its expansive collection. He digitally documents books and antiquities in a virtual catalog, organizes the collection and stores priority assets for the sake of historic preservation. During The Big E, McIntosh’s responsibilities will grow to include providing docent-led tours as a living history interpreter.
In May of 2024, McIntosh graduated cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and minored in philosophy. During his undergraduate career, McIntosh was involved with the New England Council on Latin American Studies, the Creative Writing Club, A Hand Up and Model United Nations. His previous places of work include The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market.
When asked how he heard about the internship opportunity, McIntosh said, “I was looking at the website for the National Council on Public History. I came to the Fair for the first time last year and I noticed and enjoyed the Museum. I found it was easy to get my foot in the door, and I already have an interest in local history!”
Bella Theodorou of West Hartford, Conn., is also a library archives intern. Her role like McIntosh’s but differs because she is responsible for the Village’s rare books collection. She catalogs content, studies methods of preservation to ensure the longevity of the collection and takes inventory of contents and condition.
Theodorou is entering her junior year studying history at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland, and she will return to school abroad at the end of her internship prior to The Big E. Her accomplishments include receiving the Robertson International Scholarship (2023) and the Edinburgh Award (2025). Her relevant experience includes roles as an archival volunteer and hostess for the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society. Her work history includes time as a barista at Gong Cha in West Hartford, Conn.
Beyond the classroom, Theodorou volunteers with More than a Meal, is the well-being officer for her campus’s dance team, is active in the Students as Change Agents club and serves as an academic peer volunteer and events coordinator for her university’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology. She speaks advanced Mandarin Chinese, intermediate Spanish and beginners Greek.
“I found this position online through New England Museum Association (NEMA),” explained Theodorou. “As a history student, I wanted archival experience, and that’s exactly what I got here; I expanded my career-oriented skills in a super cool, small environment. I had narrow, specific goals from the start.”
McIntosh and Theodorou have both proven themselves to be assets to Storrowton Village Museum, and ESE is made stronger by their work. Interested in interning with ESE or the Village? Check TheBigE.com and ESE’s LinkedIn regularly for opportunities.